Do you know me?
by EmptyOrFull
Summary: Loki x reader, Loki wanders into a seemingly empty apartment wounded, your apartment, what happens now?
1. You Wish You Knew Where This Was Going

When you opened your eyes today, you weren't expecting much. You already thought you were going to skip breakfast like normal, shower, like you do every morning, get dressed, like you do every morning after you shower, live, like you do everyday, ignore the rest the world as much as it ignored you, like always. So one can say you were mildly surprised to see the bathroom lights on, you live alone and you never leave the lights on. You rarely turned them on. Especially not all nightlong. A little curious when you heard someone in there, then mortified.

Its mom, she came to 'spend quality time' with you while telling you that you should move back up home, or at least decorate the apartment so people would believe someone was actually living here. You always said it deterred thieves. Actually it was easy to replace, cause there was nothing. Eventually Mom would get irritated with how she couldn't push you around like when you still lived in the home. So after prepping yourself to face your 'beloved' mom, you opened the door, and you were completely shocked to find a dark haired man pressing your favorite black towel to the red flowing from his abdomen. "Oh." You said that one little word, forcing your eyes to not widen and you face to stay neutral. You needed to stay calm. It'd be really bad if you lost controll of yourself. "Hello, can I help you?" The dark hair man stayed sitting on your not-so-white-now toilet, no response. Maybe he doesn't speak english? "Hola, puedo ayudar?"

"I heard you the first time you foolish, midgardian wench." You couldn't stop the frown from turn the corners of your mouth down, ruining your perfectly blank expression just a bit. You don't care that he has a beautiful voice, his words are pure venom.

"Are you drunk? Or drugged?" You allowed your hatred for those abominations to fill your words.  
The man just coughs red spittle, shaking his head no. A little bit of concern enters you, okay, a lot. But he doesn't know that. You pull his long black hair back, securing it with a scrungy you pulled from your (h/l) (h/c) hair. He glares at you. "'Thank you miss, its so nice of you to not toss me out or call the police.' Yep, your welcome." He raises a thin eyebrow.

You walk briskly to the kitchen to grab a knife, which the man eyes warily when he sees you holding it. You set it on the bathroom vanity as you pull out a first aid kit. You move to dial 911, but the man rasps out a no. You shrug, then proceed to pull him off the toilet, forcing him to lay down on the floor, he protests a little. You position his knees up, so they are flexed, then pulled the towel away from his feeble grasp. There's only one wound, it slashes from his left hip upwards towards the right, ending a little after were you imagined the belly button would be. You ran your hand under him, feeling his back for an exit wound, you doubt there'd be one, looked like someone tried to get him with a knife. You take your own blade, pushing away the green overcoat, proceeding to cut away at the black material hiding the wound from you, you leave one piece, its dried into the wound. If you take it away he'll bleed even more. You are glad the man doesn't make any more noise than his laboured and pained breaths of air already do, no crying, no screaming, you like that. You don't see anything in the wound, luckily you can see in there quite well, it's somewhat deep. You frown. Not cause you're disappointed, you're rather glad there are no organs to deal with, frowning's just more natural to you than smiling. But he was coughing blood... You clean up the blood, put some disinfectants on and wrap it up. You make him drink some lukewarm water and take ibuprofen, like it'll help.

Then you sit there, watching him watch you. He gets sick of the staring, or perhaps he can not handle the hard, emptiness of your eyes. He looks around the bathroom as you try to decide whether or not to move him. He can't stay here. The couch? That thing is wooden, you purposely had picked a wooden, uncomfortable couch so people would be forced to stand, then they'd try walking around. They soon want to leave quickly when the place started to feel to small for them. It felt like a cage. Your bed? No-Actually that was a good idea, he wasn't going anywhere soon and you'd need to be able to keep an eye on him...at all times. Fine, the bed. "Can you move?" You whisper, he turns back to you slowly. Shrugs. "Ready?"

-()-

Oh, he was not ready. He cursed and screamed like a crazed thing, taking swings at you. You put him on the bed as gently as possible. Counting to five before repositioning him on the bed. You then check the bandages, no blood leaked through. That was good. "Hungry?" He hissed at you. "Okay." You huffed, he could go hungry.

-()-

Which was not why you were currently in the grocery store, stocking up on saltines, soups, and other easy to eat foods. Plus a little more. Vitamins, more supplies for the injury. You headed to the check out. Crap. You stared at the cashier, he always flirted with you, trying to make a conversation. What is his name? Bryce? No... It didn't start with a B. An E, you thought it was an E. You piled your purchase on the conveyor belt. Slyly checking his name tag, Kaleb. Not an E. It was his friend who name was Bryce. Maybe... "Hey Name, haven't seen you for a while." He gives you an easy smile. You nod mutely. "Someone visiting you? Normally you doen't get much of anything."

"No." You pull out some cash, nothing is cheap anymore.

"Special occasion?" He takes your cash.

"Not really." You take your change. Then the receipt, resisting the urge to roll your eyes at the words written on it. Monday 6, think about it? And his number. "Bye."

"See you." He gives you that stupid, silly, hopeful smile. Stupid child. Actually he looks older than you. Maybe by three years? You would think he'd learn by now. After being turned down so many times. You leave.

-()-

The man is crumpled on the floor when you get back. Not even a foot from the bed. "Did you try to leave or just roll over?" You haul him back up, not caring if it hurts. He shouldn't have moved."No moving for a while. Your cut is gonna take some time." You prop him up on some pillows, handing him more water. "Don't move, you'll only hurts yourself." Then you go make some soup, tomato. Pouring some in a throw away bowl, you place a plastic spoon besides it on the cheap tray you bought earlier. Bringing it to the man. "Eat."

"What did you do to it?" He sounds so very tired.

"Nothing, if I wanted you gone you'd be gone. Your name?" You can't refer to him as 'dark haired man' forever.

He gives a crooked smile. "I think I'm going to like you. I am Loki. Loki of Asgard." He then takes a bite of soup, he is famished after all. And you are confused, Asgard is not a Country you've heard of, are you that out of it?

-()-

Loki looked at you with confusion as you slipped into bed that night. Thank goodness you just had to get a ridiculously huge bed. Thank goodness you wore your clothes to sleep, thank goodness you never got rid of those old habits. "What are you doing?"

You roll over to face him. "This is my bed."

"Sleep somewhere else. Please." You can tell that one word was a great gift to you.

"My couch is made of wood." You mutter, you add tiredly, "You sleep on it."

"What in Odin's name convinced you to get a wood couch?" He hissed back.

You smile, Odin, Loki. Norse mythology "So my guests would be encouraged to leave early."

"You don't like people?" Loki says it as if it all is making more sense now.

"The less people around me the better. Makes less of a mess... When stuff happens. Besides I feel better when no ones around." You roll back over, facing away from him.

"What stuff?"

"You for example, now don't come onto my side of the bed." You yawn for good measure. "Or your little cut well be the least of your problems." Then you pretend to sleep so he won't talk anymore. You won't fall asleep for real for another couple hours. You find it hard to sleep. You always have. It's a habit.

* * *

Reviews? Also, as the story proceeds my writing style sorta changes. I liked to apologize, I'm tying to go through and at least make it easier to read.


	2. Crash Course Instant Roommates

This Loki sleeps for weeks, sometimes he speaks in his sleep. Sometimes about how he hates this Thor, and Odin. But later its broken begging full of I'm sorry's and forgive me's. Weakling, but you still can't stop feeling just a twinge of sympathy. You two may have something in common. You lay next to him so he can feel your presences, taking his hand. "I'm here. I won't leave. I don't hate you." It becomes a mantra you say to every distressed gasp. Sometimes you stroke his hair. Sometimes falling asleep with him, just to wake up to his arm slung over you. When he was awake you made him eat. Or go to the bathroom. That was important, very important. Somedays Loki is more with it than other days, but after almost month? He's beginning to get dirty, and maybe really smelly.

-()-

You open your eyes in a full blown panic. Someone is here. In the bed. You can feel their body heat, their arm lays against your back. You tighten your hold on a pillow. Then you laugh, Loki. Right. He stirs at the noise. You go warm up some soup, he'll be hungry.

-()-

Loki listens to you in the kitchen, watching as you walk back in the bedroom, you hand him a bowl of that red liquid again. "Did you eat?" He doesn't know why he wants to know, but he does.

Your lips twitch, you shrug, "Why should I? I'm not hungry." Loki can't help but feel a little irritated at that, but just eats the red stuff in silence. Do you ever eat? He never hears you eating, he never sees food on you in any nature, except when he had spilt the red stuff on you. You leave and head to the bathroom. Loki can hear the water turning on, you were taking a shower, like you did every morning. He put the spoon back in the bowl, letting the whole thing rest in his lap. There is nothing here. No pictures, no art, no dust, no color. The bed is white, the walls are white, the carpet a pattern of grey diamonds. He had truly thought no one was living here that night. There had been no shoes at the door, no food on the counter, no dishes out to dry. In afterthought however, the black towels and soap in the bathroom did indicate someone was here. Kind of. The place felt void of life, empty. Loki didn't know quite why, but he didn't like that emptiness. He wanted it filled.

-()-

When you walked back into the room with dripping (h/c) hair and fresh clothes to find Loki picking at the bandages. "Stop that." You push his had away from the white wrappings as you pick up the bowl, pausing as you let your eyes trail up the jagged cuts in the clothes that you had made when you had bandaged him. "I suppose you'll need some new clothes." You set the bowl on your dresser. "Do you know your sizes?"

"My what?" He looks at you.

"The sizes for clothing? Clearly you don't. I'll just guess." You shrug, unimportant details. Picking up the bowl before leaving. "Behave, I'll be back soon." You drop the bowl in the trash. A thrift store would be good.

-()-

You finger the dark green hoody, black and white tees hang on your arm. He'd want some color, yes?  
"Who are you shopping for?" Oh... Kaleb... Wonderful... Ah... Awkwardness. He stuffs his hands in his pockets, looking down. "So a guy lives with you?"

"Huh?'

"Don't lie, that's for a guy. Is he good to you?" He shuffles a little.

"He is not mine." You hammer out.

"Then why is he with you?" He grabs you by the arm

You shake him off. "Why should I tell you? Why is this any of your business?" You grab the hoody. "Stay away from me, I want nothing to do with you. You are no more then an irritance for me." You leave him there. You need to get the rest of Loki's cloth, pants, socks... Underwear.

-()-

Getting Loki dressed was already going to be hard, you were going to sponge bathe him, wash his hair, redo the bandage, and dress him. He was against undressing. "Just do it, you need to get clean. Now." A little irritation from earlier seeps into your voice along with the growing exasperation with the whole day. You hold him still as you cut off the pants, the rest of the shirt, You don't touch the underwear. You slowly scrub the caked blood off his skin, all the filth. Running over his skin two more times, he doesn't say it, but you can tell her likes it by how his whole body, originally taunt with tension and stress, was relaxed. You take off the bandage, cleaning under it, then redoing it carefully. You leave him with a new pair of underwear and the sponge. "Finish up and get on the new clothes."

-()-  
The white t-shirt fits perfectly. Everything does, you can't help but feel proud you guessed correctly. "Do you like it?" You ask as you zip up the hoody, Loki is so tired from the whole thing he doesn't protest.

"Yes."

"Good." You smile. "Anything you need."

"Color." The word is so sudden, you look at Loki. He gets a little red in the face from what you assume is embarrassment. He clears his throat. "This place is so..."

"Drab?" He nods. "I'll see. But I'm not heading into town for a while now." You cock your head, "Can you play 500 rummy?"

"Yes?..."

-()-

You thoroughly thrashed Loki in over twenty games, eventually he stopped trying to avenge his pitiful game. You smiled. "Wasn't that fun?"

"No." Loki grumbled as you cleaned up the cards. Suddenly his eyes light up. "Do you play poker? Texas Holdem'?"

"Yes." He gives you a look that says lets play. You sigh, then cock your head. That'd work nicely, you need to... See a certain someone. "I'll call over some people to play."

-()-

Loki listens to you on the phone. Its a quick conversation, your saying good bye when the other person says something. What ever it is you speak again, a tremor in your voice. "Oh. How awful. Well she be alright?" They say something else that makes you gasp. "I'm sorry." You hang up.

"Name?' Loki calls softly when he hears nothing but silence.

"What?" Your voice is strangled, like you were... Crying?

"Come here." You wander in, refusing to look at him. "Let's go to bed." You nod, climbing in on your side. "Name?" He leans over, running a hand over your hair like Frigga had when he was young. He could see tears spots on your shirt.

"Please stop talking." Loki snuggles up against your back, not liking seeing you so weak. You begin to move away but he wraps his arms around you. He hasn't known you for very long, but he can't help but feel you and he are of a kind. Similar, but you seem colder, more resigned, you give off the feeling of something that had been in a cage so long that it no longer sees the difference between inside and outside of the cage. The cage is home. Even when free its trapped. Empty, you also felt so empty. It irritated Loki. He held you even tighter, whatever was troubling you, he wanted you to know he was here. You sigh, putting a one of your hands over his. Slowly your breathing turned into a relaxed pattern, you had fallen asleep.

* * *

Hope you enjoyed these last 2 chapters. Been looking into getting some animals, hope it works out. Plus I won grand champion in 4H, so I'll be at my state's state fair soon. Yay! I can't wait. review please!


	3. Choices and Decisions to be Made

When Loki woke up he was alone, he couldn't see you, he couldn't hear you. So he had to sit there, doing nothing, waiting for you. Staring at all the whites, greys, and blacks. The more he looked at them, the more angry he got, where were you. What if you weren't coming back?

"Loki? Are you... Crying?" A sardonic smile on your face and shopping bags in hand.

"Name?' Loki immediately hated how pathetic he sounded, and opted for a more snarky tone as he quickly blinked away the wetness of his eyes. "Here I was thinking you finally had disappeared, got me something? Just can't stop treating me, can you?"

"Oh, you don't want this?" You shake a bag tauntingly. He frowns, not liking your teasing, you up end it in his lap. "You wanted colors, right? So I got colors." Loki ate up the colors. The green comforter, matching pillowcases with a golden trim that vaguely reminded him of home. Differently colored shirts, and colorful little loops. He picks one up, looking at you questionably. "Hair binder, you could use some." He frowns.

"You as well. What's in the other bags?"

You grin widely, pulling out a gorgeous painting. "Liking it so far?"

"Yes." He stares at it. "What else?"

In the end you hang the largest painting across from the bed where he can see it best, you pin a print on the ceiling, statues and vases of flowers and herbs on every single available surface. Sprinkling paintings without the apartment. Loki really wanted to see them, you told him he needed to get exercise somehow. He was not happy about that idea.

"Are you saying I am fat?! No one could get fat on your cooking!" He raged from the bed, the new decorations rattling. He stops in consideration. "Do you even cook? Can you?"

"I just warm things up." You give him a glare. "The kind of cooking your thinking of, the kind that tastes good? I have no need for it. Its worthless, pointless. Haven't done it for a very long time."

"You don't really think that, right?" The look you give him says it all, and it gives him an idea.

"I can make scrambled eggs?... I remember making scrambled eggs." You start straightening askew artwork. "Somethings... How hard can it be?"

-()-

"Hello." You answered the door, someone had knocked. Loki watched the dark skinned woman walk in, her golden eyes watched Loki closely.

"I was not informed of your roommate." The golden eyed one frowned. Deeply.

You brought out candy pieces for betting. "Ready for a game of poker, Texas Holdem' style?"

-()-

Loki glared at you from across the table. How did you keep winning. He couldn't tell when you were bluffing or really had something going. You seemed to be able to convince him and gold eyes to raise just like that with a challenging smirk and shake of your head.

-()-

Loki was in bed, you brought Chandra to the door. "Pills?"  
Her pupils lose their roundness as she drops the baggy in your hand. "We want you to sstay alert, that particular ssssolution to the isssssue may have expired. But a new solution has been found and is being investigated." When she finishes talking her pupils turned to slits, she nods her head in a bow. "Good night."  
"Good night, I will be waiting for your discovery. Alert me when the time come." You smirk, gesturing to her now prominent fangs and eyes. "You need to work on your control little snakeling."  
SHe frowns, "I will consider your suggestion, and I am no sssnakeling."

-()-

Loki sat with you at breakfast. His cooking comment had gotten you riled up. He poked at the golden scrambled eggs, a mix of cheeses melted over it, bacon (you seemed to really like bacon, Loki decided he should remember that, could be handy one day), and half a banana. He looks at you questionly. "What am I going to drink?"  
You sit there for a bit. "Drink?" You shrug. "I forgot, orange juice?"  
"Sure." You pour him a glass. "You're drinking some too." You glare at him, put pour a glass for you as well.  
Clinking them together before handing him a glass and taking a sip of the other glass. "Cheers."

-()-

It'd been another month of living together when you got the call, it was the middle of the night. "Hello." You felt so nervous, would it be good news, or bad?  
"Hello." It's Chandra. "We have a ssssolution," You smile at how she doesn't even attempt to keep the hiss out of her voice, but frown at the next part, "it'sss time to leave."  
"I can't."  
"Get rid of him." You can hear her irritation in her words.  
"No." It's out so quickly, you don't really care if it's rude or stupid to say this. "He isn't fully healed. He'll need more time, I won't throw him out."  
"Fine, let him heal, then kick him out and we will begin."  
"Ok. I'll call you when I'm ready." You frown, before Loki had come you would have been so happy to hear that, 'we have a solution'. Well, he was almost completely healed. He'd be gone soon.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed! thank you for the review darling! Made me happy, please review!


	4. The Game Ender or is it Changer?

"Name?" Loki shook Name lightly. His injury had healed into a tender red scar months ago, but he still stayed, neither of you talked about leaving. It had been slow, like a year slow, but things had changed, Name now got the newspaper like a normal person, she didn't like cooking, but it wasn't too awful, sometimes. It was a touchy subject. The place was alive now, plants, little fish, paintings, antiques. The place couldn't be more colorful if he even tried. He liked it here, he was pretty sure you like how things were turning out too. But you seemed nervous lately, unsure. She didn't even snap at him for cuddling her at night, or for not letting her get out of bed in the morning, Name even started letting go of her routine. Always up at 5, not a second afterwards, but normally long before, holding her so she couldn't leave probably had helped. Name's eyes opened slowly. "You must be exhausted."

"No, the beds just to nice, I shouldn't have listened to you. The old bed was fine." She pulled him down next her. "What's that smell?"

Loki smirked triumphantly. "Pancakes." She was out of bed so fast and in the kitchen that it made his head hurt. Gaping at the golden stack of pancakes.

"What do you want Loki?"

"A smile." He plops three huge pancakes on a plate, butters them, drizzles maple syrup over them and a huge blob of whipped cream. You glare at him a bit, he is purposely giving you huge proportions. "Smile, remember?" You give him a marrow freezing, maniacal grin. Then dig in, you even eat all the food he gave you, and that stupidly huge glass of milk. You didn't even know you owned such big cups.

-()-

"Loki, get dressed." You toss some clothes at him. "It's almost dinnertime and you're still in pajamas."

"Why should I get dressed, no one is here. No one is ever here." Loki lays sprawled across the real couch he also convinced you to get. He said the old one was a fake because it was really a torture device, this one was real because it had cushions, you were pretty sure he had liked it cause it was green.

You sighed, watching his expression as you spoke. "I'm taking you out for dinner as a thank you for breakfast." Loki's face lit up, you never let him leave the apartment, you would go shopping alone, but he didn't like that and you never got what he wanted you too. So now all the shopping was pretty much done online. Which explains, now that you you thought about it, how he got the ingredients for pancakes, Loki ordered all the groceries now, he had taken to the computer quite easily. He got dressed quickly in the bathroom, combed his hair, and came back out. You couldn't help but grin at the green hoodie, he must like green a lot, it went nicely with the white tee and black jeans. You liked black jeans, casual yet business. Oh, this was bad, how would you get rid of him?

-()-

Why didn't you get take out instead? Everything had been fine until you had walked into the restaurant, Anton's, it had sounded familiar. You really wish you had just walked a little farther because when you went in with Loki to be seated, you saw Kaleb. That's why it sounded familiar, Kaleb had invited you here countless times, cause he works here as well. You watch the anger in Kaleb's face as he marched up, you grab Loki, "Let's go somewhere else."

"Name? Why?"

Loki probably would have said more but Kaleb spoke up. "You witch, leading me on all this time. Letting me fool over you, when you already have someone."

You hiss in frustration. "I di-"

Loki pushes you aside. It doesn't all make much sense, but he gets the gist of it and he doesn't like this boy, at all. "Back down and apologize. Name hasn't done anything to you."

Kaleb snarls. "Who is he, some big shot? I don't recognize him, he isn't from around here, is he? Why him over me, you bought the clothes he was wearing. I saw you. He's worthless."

Then Loki shoved him into the bar, the boy had insulted himself and Name. That is when the bar fight started. You have the best luck ever.

-()-

"Mmm. N-Name?" Loki looks at you from on his back, under the comforter, your face empty as you stand next to him.

"Are you feeling better?" Your voice was just that, nothing in it.

"Yeah, what's wrong?" He reached out, concerned by your odd behavior. You shied from his touch.

"Then leave, your clearly healed if you're able to fight."

"What?! I was-"

"Loki! Out." You words cut through him, he throws back the covers angrily, he had been trying to help.

"FINE, you won't be seeing me again." He storms out, but not before you can force a bag into his hands, he'll need it.  
You give a sad smile to the door after he slammed it, _I won't be seeing you again for real actually_. You pick up your phone, punching in a few numbers, "Chandra? I'm ready." A pause as she speaks. "He's gone."

* * *

Game changer, yay! Poor Loki. Sorry if it feels hurried, but I have to separate you two! ;) review!

PS Yes I realize Kaleb didn't bring much fire, but the only things i could think of were that and lots of swearing. I don't really care for swearing, so elementary. So yeah. I'm weird.


	5. Being Left Behind with Stark

Loki stared tiredly at Stark. "So let me see if I got this. You got hurt by some random mugger, crawled into what you thought was an empty apartment, turned out this really weird chick lives there, weird because she just patched you up, no questions asked, and took care of you for that whole time? Do you realize there is a good chance she is more dangerous, more crazy, than you because she didn't even get fazed by you?"

Loki shrugged. "I didn't consider that, she was very nice."

"I've noticed psychopaths are generally nice at first, then they kill you, for example." Stark nodded sagely over his brandy.

"If she had wanted me gone, I'd be gone. She had almost a year of opportunities." Loki sighed, steepling his fingers. "I was hoping you'd help me Stark."

"With what?" Stark stared suspiciously at the Asgardian.

"I want to go back."

"You couldn't find your way back after living there for nearly a whole year, could you?" Loki gives a little nod. "Say please, and that I'm awesome."

"Please help me, I'm awesome." Loki smirked.

"Oh fine." Stark stood tiredly. "What's her name?"

-()-

"You know, I did some digging on your girl, she is unemployed, but somehow she got a huge fortune quietly put into multiple accounts of hers, accounts that existed years before her birth. She also gets a nice monthly check from multiple people from around the world. Plus lots of odd stuff in her paperwork." Stark pulled the room key out of his pocket, "Ready?" Loki was really weird now. All tense, nervous, sorta polite, and he seemed... He was in love. That all added up! Loki was in love with this mystery girl. The potential psychopath... "Ready?"

Loki nodded, Stark opened the door, but let Loki in first. "Name?" The Asgardian called. "Name?!" He whirled on Stark, "She's not here!"

"Well, yeah genius." Stark walked about the place. "So you lived here for how long, a year? Very... Unique, like some color blind person went on a crazy shopping spree and forgot there wasn't enough room in their closet."

"That," Loki pointed at a lovely green couch, "Used to be wooden. The counters, shelves, everything was bare. The only colors were blacks, greys, and whites. The fridge was practically empty, there was only reheatable soup, saltines, vitamins, and the occasional fruit. All the paintings, the color, that was because of me. She did that because I asked for color."

"Ah, that's great, not creepy at all. Hey, there's only one bed... Loki?" Stark's eyebrows went up.

"We shared."

"Excuse me?"

"Stark! How dare you think those dirty thoughts." Loki turned a little pink. "I didn't touch her in that nature."

"Yet," Stark added, "You did notice the letter on the table addressed to you, yes?"

"Show it to me."  
_**Loki  
Everything in the apartment is yours.  
Name**_

-()-

Lots of things had happened after you disappeared. Loki had searched everywhere for you, but it was like you never existed, all your money vanished the night you left, no one could find you. The Avengers even helped, a little, surprisingly Tony helped the most, but Loki was pretty sure it was because of his pride. The fact that Tony couldn't find one seemingly normal girl seemed to be making him obsessed with it all.

"Man, your girl is weird. A very clean track record, perfect grades, never had a car, born in a little town near Chicago. She went to a school in Chicago, eventually the family moved to Chicago. What I could find, people thought the family was odd, seemed fine but something was off was the general consensus. Argh." Stark covered his face like he was having a headache, probably did. "She disappeared the last day of middle school, went to school, didn't come back."

"She never talked about family." Loki looked thoughtful. "She disliked talking about the past, I didn't want to tell her about how I... You know."

"How you failed to conquered the world." Stark smirked. "That'd be a good conversation."

Loki couldn't help but sigh. "Yes, that."

-()-

"Brother, Jane tells me you haven't been sleeping, again." Thor stood in front of the smaller, sitting Asgardian frowning. Loki shrugs, sleep is another unimportant detail. He doesn't want to sleep, he can't even when he tries. A little part of him hope you'll walk through the door any moment, and that little part fears he might be asleep and therefore unable to make you stay. Like last time. "Loki, look at me." Thor sighs. "I don't even understand why you stay in this little place, she isn't coming back, you realize this, yes?" Loki says nothing. "You were together for sometime, and she helped you a good deal, but this is foolish. She will not come back, you'll have wasted your own time."

Loki frowns. "If thats all you have to say, than leave." Thor's eyes flash angrily. Loki sneers, "Get out." One of the vases fall, breaking, as Loki forces Thor out with his magic. He sits back down on the couch, staring at the broken pieces, five months of waiting, and not another sign of you, not since the time you had apparently come back in the middle of the night while Loki slept. He had woken when the door had shut. Loki felt your presence fading quickly as you had left, he had torn out of the apartment, only to run into an old lady who must have lived down the hall. Where were you?

-()-

Loki glared at Jane. "Get out."

"Won't you consider it at least?" She whispers, "You could possibly find Name."

Loki looks up, "By working with the Avengers?" He snorts.

"You need to get out." Loki shrugs. "Do you think Name would want you to be cooped up in here forever?" She asks. At that Loki can only stare. She is right, Name would be furious. Wouldn't she?

"Fine." He snarls.

* * *

IS this going too fast? Review


	6. Time for Action and Giant Cats

The reason why Loki was need by the Avengers? Shield had them working on a possible threat. Shifters. Shapeshifters, they had a human form and then normally one animal form. They could be fully human, fully animal, or something inbetween. A Falcon Shifter could remain human but sprout wings and take flight. Some had more than one animal form, meaning they could become different animals, and on occasion Shifter's had more than one human form. They were able to manipulate almost everything about themselves, but most didn't bother or have the control. And now the Shifters were beginning to question their old rules, like leave mundanes, that's what they called humans, alone, don't kill them, don't bother them, stay hidden, sort of rules. They were killing people, just a few, here and there. But no longer for the old reasons like you killed my family, my children, or insanity and loss of control.

Shield was concerned that this could become a war between the Human population and the Shifter population. In such a war Humans would so far be at a disadvantage as many Shifters lived as Humans and were unknown.

Loki was wanted because with his illusions and magic, he could make the task much easier. He could do what the satellites and computers couldn't. The plan was simple. Catch some Shifters, and find out the Shifter Community's intentions, continue from there, try to be peaceful. He and the Avenger's were currently on a plane to a remote island in the tropics, were strange reports were coming from, reports of strange people coming and going, screams coming from the woods at night among other noises. Shield believed a Shifter or more had taken residence. It was the Avenger's job to catch it.

-()-

Loki decided that all biting insects should be eliminated. He desperately wanted to scratch the bites but it seemed indignified to show sign of torment by such tiny, pathetic creatures. Besides, it would no doubt get worse if itched. That's when he heard it, the angry shreek of a hawk. Hawks were not on this island. It flew over his head. Shades of brown and a white underbelly, it swooped down on Bruce. Talons scratching at the man's face. Bruce immediately hulked out. Hulk swatted at the bird, clipping a wing, sending it flying into the underbrush were something much bigger than a bird impacted and a young woman screamed in pain.

A Shifter? Loki started towards where the bird had hit, when something other screamed in rage. A unrealistically huge black panther walked out on one of the massive tree roots. Eyes focused on Hulk, it hissed. Ready to pounce. But a black scaled snake woman slithered out, putting a scaly arm in front of it. "No." It hissed. "Ssshe'ss fine." The cat turned to look at the snake, and that's when it saw Loki. It pushed the snake away to look him in the eyes. The snake turned to find what had the Cat's interest. It's golden eyes widen in some realization. "Oh no."

The cat takes jumps down to walk towards him, a low rumble coming from deep in its chest.

"Loki." Steve says.

"Yes?" He takes a step back from the advance of the thing as it flashes it maw of white, white teeth.

"Run." Loki nods before taking off. The cat hisses, and tries to chase him, but Hulk apparently doesn't like things that are bigger than himself and attacks, helping the rest hold it back.

-()-

Loki stares at Stark, "So, it's..." He gulps, he can't help but feel a little nervous, "It's a Shifter?" Stark nods. "And no one knows where it is, but it appears to be chasing... Me?"

"Yeah." Stark frowns from the opening in his mask. "Did I mention we lost it?"

"No, Stark, you failed to mention that." Loki hissed. "Anything else?"

Stark frowned at him before continuing dryly. "Yeah, I'm going back to play medic with Bruce, you have your comm, be careful." Then he blasts off. Really helpful.

-()-

Loki is sick of running. Illusions seem to be pointless to the Shifter chasing him, it must be able to sense him because it doesn't give a second glance to any illusion Loki casts. It simply avoids the spells and traps by shifting, how many forms does it have? He leans against a tree, trying to catch his breath, Stark had blasted the thing in the face, he might have a few moments of peace as it licked its wounds or just chased Stark for a bit. He moaned, he should have stayed in the apartment. Name, he stiffened, he could feel her! He must have not noticed earlier, being chased by a crazy Shifter was quite distracting. But why was she here?

She wasn't to far. A small walk away truthfully. Loki climbed over the tree roots, really, who put these here? He jumped down from another one, Name should be right around this next tree.

The Shifter. It stood there, now a smaller cat of gold and browns, smaller than it was originally, now its chin was level with the top of his head, with blinking green eyes. But it was the Shifter. It moves towards him, making the rumbling noise again, it walks up to Loki, backing him into a tree. He could feel its breathing on his face. _Its going to bite off my head, isn't it?_  
Then it licked him.

* * *

Almost done! Sorry, totally rushing now! But school is starting for me soon, and I am starting a new project! Plus I still need to wrap up _What?_ Well I ever finish it...? Hope you guys enjoyed!


	7. You're Back

You sat down in front of Loki, he taste salty, probably from all the sweat. He didn't have to run-... Oh... Hmmm, well, he may have ran off because you were a giant cat. Yeah, you could see that, You cocked your feline head, perhaps trying the form he had met you in? Yeah, good idea. You give him a reasuring sniff, it was not because you missed him, who suggested such a silly thing!?

You sigh, feeling your fur fade and you teeth dull, your bones shrank, claws became fingers, green feline eyes became (e/c) human ones, but Loki couldn't tell because they were almost completely shut. You take a deep breath, letting your human senses take over. Loki gasps. "Name?" He steps forward as if to touch you, but does not.

You open your eyes fully, smiling as the final, internal changes finish. "Yes?"

"It's really you?" You nod. "Odin's bloody eye, you're a Shifter."

You shrug. "I am an All-Face." You move closer to him, "But you are something not human as well, Loki. I can smell it." Your eyes narrow at a passing thought as you circle behind him. "Who are your companions? They hurt Shaelyn, very displeasing, offending." The corners of your mouth turn downwards as you look at him for an answer and control yourself, your mind is like wind now, it wants to go in many directions all at once and focus on little but unimportant details. "The green, angry one hit her out of the sky." You add, you shift yourself to be a little taller to lay your head over his shoulder, allowing him a close view of your face. "Who are they?"

"The Avengers." He gently touches your hair, you close your eyes at his touch. Perhaps you have spent too much time as an animal, but you want to be close to him and if he wanted to touch your hair? That was fine, it made an odd warmth of pride in your chest.

"Can I bite the green one?"

You can feel his chuckle vibrating through his back. "An amusing thought, but a bad plan of action. His anger makes him strong."

You smile. "Oh, but anger makes me strong as well, but in a bad way." Bad, bad way.

"Hmm?" He moves and you lose your connection with him. It makes you a little grumpy.

You huff, perhaps if explain quickly he'll take time to mull it over and you can get a firmer hold this time. "I am an All-Face, it's very difficult... Well, in everything truly. Normally Shifters only have to deal with two different sets of Instinct's, desires. The Animal and the Human. I have millions. Billions of different little voices in my head telling me what to do, how to feel, it's hard to focus on anything, to think before I act. I'm constantly pulled in a thousand different directions, its like, what is it... Singing against a choir." You finger a strand of hair thoughtfully. "When stressed, like anger, it's even worse, I lose the control I have and all the Instincts go berserk for control, trying to fulfil any desires of mine or there own. If something made me angry, the Instincts would want to rip it to shreds or worse. The Instincts want to protect me, make me happy, but each one has its own ideas of how to do that."

Loki moves again, you want to hiss in frustration, a little voice in the back of your head says you should be concerned at this desire to be so close, to be acting like this, something's wrong. "Are the Shifters a threat?"

You snarl. "A threat to who?"

"Humans." He looks worried, like a child who had lost a toy and finally found it but was beginning to notice it had been changed in its absence.

"The others are undecided, humans are necessary in my opinion, staying pureblood at this rate would be bad, it would lead to inbreeding, there isn't enough blood diversity." You sigh. "Children making it to adulthood is difficult enough already, I can only imagine how much harder it would become with inbred babies, besides part of a Shifter is human and some Shifters are born from human parents because of Shifter ancestors. We should simply have humans acknowledge our existence, if they knew, we could live side by side in a much more beneficial manner." You move about, impatient, you want the talking to be over, but you can feel him stiffening as you speak.

"There aren't many of you."

"Yes and no, there are currently many older ones and many of us are related in some nature. Its a... Aging population? In our current state, if we limit ourselves to only ourselves, we can not reproduce to the point, without inbreeding, that those who die would be replaced. Besides, what if a Shifter has a human mate, they should be able to be with their Mate, whether it be Shifter, Animal, or Human."

"Mates?" Loki says softly.

"Hmm, something quite complicated... Somewhat like falling in love, but not really. Although love or some form of affection is normally mixed in, although at first it could simply be the Bond. Commonly there is courtship, or you're near them for quite sometime and your Instincts decide that that being, or on occasion, beings.-" Loki goes a little pale at that idea. "Is what you need, and that you are what they need. That you can be with them and be.. Happy? But... Its not always happiness, but the Instincts choose them. If the Mate, especially humans, doesn't understand and you've already Bonded to them, someone can die or worse." You notice the look on his face. "There are fates worse than dying, like living with the need to be near someone, wanting to hold them, protect them, make them smile, needing them to the point that in their absence you don't feel alive, can't sleep, eating is unimportant. Many of our kind have slowly fade away because their Mate refuses them, despises them. But is this important?" You feel a little irritate now. Talk, talk, talk, he's make you do all the talking. How bought he talks a little?

"Name?"

Chandra! Chandra does what you want, she loves to be near you, although it disgusts you somewhat... "Chandra!" You catch her glare at Loki. "He's a friend."

"I know, we played Poker together, remember?" She hisses, what did Loki do? You nod, she makes her way towards you, still in between human and snake. She coils a little possessively around you. "What business does this mundane have with you." Wrapping a hand around your arm, pulling you near like Loki may bite.

You frown a little, jerking your arm away from her. "His name is Loki, not mundane." You hiss back as you step out of her coil, and she honestly looks a little startled, but then angry. Because you never push her away.

"I can speak for myself, Name." Loki cuts in.

That's when the others arrived, other Avengers. Chandra screams angrily. Coiling around you again, but defensively this time.  
The red haired woman cocks her gun, the armor man raises his hands, palms glowing. The archer prepares to fire as Chandra lifts Loki off the ground by the throat.

Something in you bursts at that image, Loki, pale faced, helpless in Chandra's grasp. How dare she touch him? You shift angrily, so fast your flesh tears and blood splash the ground as you swat her away, catching Loki when she drops him. He looks at you, fear and thankfulness mixing, unsure. He is so tiny.

"Name?" You can hear Chandra talking, but she is unimportant. You watch Loki Intently, deciding that you wouldn't mind staying like this for quite sometime, mmm, so tall that your almost in the tree branches.. But Loki is not content like you, he wants to go back down. You sigh, although it comes out more like a rumble.

Mmm, you shrink yourself back down, you didn't really think about it as you had shifted, something strong was what you had wanted, strong and angry. You admire the shimmering, hairless skin, it is soft, but ungiving. You set Loki down of the forest floor. Allowing yourself to return to human form, but keeping heightened senses, reflexes and a huge set of hard-feathered wings. You know instinctively that the feathers could slice straight through the armored man, like melting butter. No resistance. You turn to Chandra. "Don't you touch him." You extended a wing threateningly towards her. "Or I will not hold back."

She nods sullenly. But then everything goes a little hazy and you realize that you maybe had shift a little to violently, too caulous. Because they are cuts everywhere, you grew and shrunk to quickly and your skin is knitting itself back together.. But you feel so tired. What's it called, you wonder sleepily? Oh yeah, everything fades out, blood loss.

-()-

Loki looks at the limp person in his arms, Name. And she won't stop bleeding. He turns to Chandra. "What's wrong with her?"

Chandra fidgets nervously, obviously disturb by Name's fainting. "She's never done a shift like that before... So big." She moves closer, slowly, but determinedly laying a hand on a Name's arm. "I think she didn't really concentrate on the details, I mean," She traces a bloody tear. "Look at her, she wasn't in control, fully."

Captain America walks over. "We have people on our ship who can help, come with us."

"No." Chandra hisses.

"That was not an offer Ma'am, you may come peacefully or we will take you captive and this 'Name' well not benefit from that."

Chandra shivers with indecision, she wants to protect Name but she doesn't want to go with them. After a bit though she nods in agreement. "I must stay by Name."

"Agreed Ma'am."

* * *

Whee! And more to come! Don't forget to review.

P.S. Love the cookies! Thank you, I'm posting an extra chapter just for you darling!


	8. Big Brother Thunder

You roll over, but its cold. Where's Loki? You feel about blindly. God, you feel wierd, and achy.. You open your eyes. "Chandra?" You look about, taking in the impersonal white room, the bandages wrapped around you, the chairs littered about. "Where are we?"

"Those people took us on this.. Plane thing."

"Plane thing?" You say mockingly, Chandra prided herself not on her lineage, but her knowledge of the world and its cultures. Her ability to blend in.

Chandra blushes. "It looked like a plane on the outside, an oversized one, but its not like any plane I've ever been on..."

"Huh." Chandra says something. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Loki, he's your Mate, isn't he?" You choked on thin air that was way too sanitized. Chandra continue looking away, shoulders slumped. "Didn't matter how hard I tried? I should have figured it out. You were acting like Mates do when seperated, angry, moody, uninterested in anything and everything. I thought maybe something had happened, but now I know after seeing you and him." She sighed.

You look at her, wide eyed. Shaelyn had said Chandra was trying to court you but you hadn't really listened... Oops. "You really think so?"

She looks at you with her now dull golden gaze. "As much as I think the sky is blue and the dirt is brown. You attacked me when I threatened him, do you have some secret reason to attack me like that?"

Good point, when it came down to it, you would have chosen Chandra over Loki in that fight... You thought anyways, Chandra was your kind and supported you, and Loki came with people who had hurt Shaelyn and were clearly not friendly. "So what do I do?"

Chandra sighs again. "I'm no All-Face expert, but I suggest you court him, and you have to be honest, take it slow. My sister, Melinda, her Mate was a human." A mournful tone to her words now. "She barely explained at all and.. Lets just say that it didn't go well. For either of them." Her expression becomes thoughtful. "But they did survive..And she is a wanted criminal in France..."

"But Loki isn't human." You sniff. "He's too cold to be human." You should know, you had thrown so many extra blankets on the bed in the apartment, it was like a furnace and he was still colder than other humans. Plus his scent gave him away. "Like a One of Water or Cold Air." You explained. "No matter how warm it is, he's always cool at the least, chilly on average." You sigh. "I wish we were still in the apartment."

-()-

You decide to dislike this Fury. He acts straight forward, but he's hiding something, it may however, not be relevant. You sit up in the bed, slowly. "So, you went on this big goose hunt because you were concerned of a war?" You shake your head. "The war well not come, as much as many Shifters look down on humans, we will not survive without them." You wave a hand at his obvious disbelief. "Besides, part of every Shifter is human, so, we would be killing part of ourselves." You giggle suddenly, Chandra has no issues killy other snakes if given a good reason, Shaelyn has killed other hawks defending her territory and such, why would humans be different? Bad reason, but he doesn't know that.

Fury frowns. "Shifters have killed Humans before. We need some form of insurance that Shifters are no threat."

You frown as well. "And Humans have killed Shifters. But I can get you direct contact with the Shifter Community, you can do your talking. I have no interest." Chandra looks a little shaken at that. "I was raised as a human, but I am an All-Face, I can't really pick a side in this, I don't really want to either."

"If you hadn't been raised by humans, would you be on the Shifter's side?"

You shrug, "I have no answer for what has never happened and never well." You collapse back down to the bed. Whining like a child, "Where is Loki? I want to see him."

"Actually, Thor, Loki's brother, wants to speak with you first." He waves in a huge blonde hair man. Who stands intimidatingly at the front of the bed with his arms crossed. You tell Chandra to go with Fury, answer his questions, find out what happened to Shaelyn. You will see what Thor wants. Besides, you need to speak with him as well apparently.

-()-

"So you are Name?" The blonde, Thor says.

You nod, "And you are Thor, and forgive me, but you aren't Loki's brother. " You take a deep breath. "Not possible."

"He is adopted." Oh, sore spot.

"Does he actually love his 'family'?"

Thor huffs. "This is not what I came to speak of with you." He is clearly irritated.

You shrug. "But I want to know."

Thor ignores me. "Why did you leave Loki? Abandon him like that?"

You sigh. "Because as I was? I was a danger, out of control. At anytime I could have attacked him. " But if you had bonded to him early on.. You couldn't have possibly harmed him, the Bond would never allow that. "But the Vavatonem train me." You shift uneasily, really they just locked you in an indestructible cavern and had you go berzerk until you were use to it, the boss, and then they sent you out to this island to make sure it had worked. "I wasn't in control then, now I am." Why had this 'solution' taken so long?

"You did not want to harm him." Thor says softly, its no question, it's a fact.

"I've harmed people I had no intention of hurting. It's nerve racking, knowing that at any moment I might start destroying anything around me."

"So you are still dangerous?"

"I will always be dangerous, just like war, people well die from that, and people know this. They always have, but that doesn't mean they well stop starting wars. Just like I won't sit back, won't be pushed down."

Thor nods, but then looks up seriously. "So what well you do now?"

Should you tell him? You cock your head to the side in consideration. "I well speak to Loki's parents. Now, which set of parents is more important to him? The birth parents or the ones who raised him?"

Thor swallows at that. Neither? "I do not think he has any appreciation whatsoever for his birth race, much less his parents. I do believe our parents would be the better option."

You smile, throwing back the covers and swinging your legs over the side of the bed. "Then they are the ones I want to speak to. How do I find them?"

Thor looks at you suspiciously. "Why?"

You blush, oh... Tell him. "I wish to court Loki," He burst out laughing, you continue you irritably, "Don't you ask permission first?"

"Yes." Thor manages. "Yes, thats quite sweet of you, thoughtful."

You glare at him. "So, when do I meet them?" You really wanted to hit him, or maybe bite him. He was acting like you were some sweet, precious creature, a cute little puppy. Did he forget the whole 'I am dangerous' part? But he was Loki's brother...So no hurting him. Darn.

"As soon as possible."

* * *

Now some may wonder, if Loki is so cold... How can you/Name tell he isn't there because the beds cold? Shifters can sense even the tiniest of temperature changes, plus she can smell him as well. So datum! And she is just as cold or colder, and sometimes warmer, her body temp has no set standard, although she tends to stay cold. Also, she compares him to normal people temps because she knows she isn't the norm.


	9. Smooth-Talker

"Are you sure you can leave already, Lady Name?" You sorta like how Thor called you Lady Name, and his concern for you well being now that he knew your intentions was amusing.

"I am fine Thor." You do a few jumping jacks. "Picture of health."

He grins at your antics. "You may want to hold on."

-()-

Traveling to this 'Asgard' was a bad idea, because it involved portals. To put it simply, apparently All-Faces and magical portals do not mix well. Note to self, do portal travel as little as possible. As soon as you enter the portal your instincts went nuts, angry even, you had wanted to run, and maybe had a slight shifting incident of lack of control. The portal hadn't liked you very much either, judging by all the lightning and magical energy it released, poor Thor. He look scared witless. And he said he did this portal traveling stuff all the time!

But, Asgard was impressive. The place was beautiful, ancient. You could feel the energy thrumming in this place. The people, surprise, were all dressed differently from those back on Earth, although the armor reminded you of the Shifters. A nice plate of armor over the heart was quite popular, it kept sharp claws, fangs, and talons out of your chest cavity and had save more than one Shifter who was off guard or unprepared. Plus Shifters tended to stick more to old ways than humans. You had met more than one, especially among the Vavatonem, dressed like an ancient Greek, Chinese, Egyptian, or Arabian. And more. But did you really have to mentally list them all out?

Thor pointed out the palace to you and it oddly reminded you of a pipe organ you had once seen, with its golden towers reaching for the sky full of.. Planets. Not the sky you were use to...But you did like it, alot. And the ancient energy...You could feel it in the core of your being, it made you feel more.. Relaxed? Confident? So how wholer and fuller then back home. You like it and so did the Instincts, they purred in you like a please cat.

Then you finally made it to the palace, you couldn't help but wonder if Thor had purposefully opened the portal far away from the place, it really had taken way too long in your opinion to get to the palace. But maybe you were just a little impatient. Maybe. But the growing anticipation was killing you, literally, the closer you got to the place the worse you felt, so nervous you were certain you were pale faced. You could tell from Thor's looks over his stupidly broad shoulders, which was happening more and more, he was worried as well. "The Throne Room is just down the hall, there you will meet our parents. Are you sure you want to do this?"

You snarl at him, you feel bad instantly, but the Instincts are so riled up, you weren't doing anything right, why would they say yes? "I have to."

But then those golden doors opened and everything in you scream as you stared into the white haired man's one hard blue eye. He watched you silently with that obe eye, then shifted. "I thought I sensed something, what are you?" His eyes narrow and his grip on his golden spear tighten. "Do not fight me."

You pause, why fight him? "Lady Name?" You look to Thor, poor thing, he is clearly having a bad day. "Please return to human form."  
You look at you distorted image in the golden walls. Fangs, claws, wings, small, but definitely capable of flight, spikes and scales scatter across your skin like someone had thrown them on you without looking. The spikes also pierced your clothes...Crap, you like these jeans.. You took a deep breath, forcing yourself human.

"I apologize, I very recently completed my training. I am an All-Face." How embarrassing, how could you convince anyone you were good for Loki if you randomly shifted upon meeting some old man?

"An All-Face? Of... Midgard. Why are you here?"

"I am here to speak of Loki with his parents."

Suddenly the old man laughs bitterly. "I am certain he told you he doesn't consider us his parents!"

"Odin." A woman scolds from inside the room, she walks towards this 'Odin'. Odin? Loki spoke of an narrow your eyes, hmm. Loki had been hurt by this Odin. "Loki is our son as much as Thor and-" The blonde woman, she was older as well, but age had touched her gently and with kindness. "Oh, a visitor from Midgard! Come in."

"Sorry, you are Loki's parents, adoptive parents?" You add.

She nods slowly,"Yes, yes we are. I am Frigga and he is Odin. Why?"

You take a breath, you had never received much teaching on this, wasn't there some stupid speech you are suppose to say or something? And you were pretty sure you were suppose to present gifts..Traditionally...Oops. "I-I..Ah.. Um. Perhaps you should sit down?" Is that the best you can do?! Literally!? But they sit in their nice, gold, imposing thrones.. Great, now they're intimidating. "I..." What should you say? You really hadn't thought about this... "I wish to court Loki and would like to seek your permission and blessing." Wow. Not impressed, but the lady looked so happy she could cry. Odin looked like he was trying to keep a raven down however.

"What?" He squeaked out, not so intimidating anymore...

"Do you love him?" Frigga blurted out.

You stiffen. "Um.. Maybe.. How much do you know about Shifters?" You noticed his blank look, _Shifters_? "I am an All-Face which is a kind of Shifter."

Odin frowns. "Nothing." That statement seems trouble everybody except you.

You try not to sigh. "For a Shifter, a Mate is not something we... To be put quick and simple, I did not consciously choose him. I am not just human, I am a million different things, animals and more. I am all faces, all facets of beings and other." You look Odin straight in the eye, "I spent a great deal of time with your son, entire days with just him after a long period of relative solitude. He is smart, strong, he has qualities that that the other parts of me no doubt value. Its like having a second being, per se, in me, that being chose Loki to be my Mate and I Bonded to him because of that. It happens, Mates are complicated in how we Shifters gain them, but after that its relatively simple."

Frigga speaks slowly, like I just ruined something very precious. "So you do not love him, you want because some little voice, one of an animal? Tells you to want him?" You can hear the tremor of rage that only a mother can have.

"Maybe, maybe not. Its hard to tell the difference, I know I don't hate him. I know I like him and his company, but I don't know what parts of my feelings for him are my own and what parts are the Bond." You sigh. Spreading your hands out. "I can't deny though that I have Bonded to him, I well waste away without him, possibly die. Or I may lose control of the Bond and do something regrettable. I do want to court him, if he wants me to go away? I well, I won't want to harm him because of the Bond. I would care for him, protect him, he wouldn't be in any danger from me."

"But you wouldn't love him." Frigga frowns at you.

"I may one day, but..Who knows what may happen?" You smile then. "But its up to him, whatever he chooses, I just want to deal with this as peacefully as possible. I may not love him currently, but I do want him to be happy." You smirk, thinking of how you had decorated the apartment for him..Oh. You had probably already have Bonded to him at the time, and the Bond want to make a place where he would want to stay. Now that you thought about it, his complaints had been something you had paid a particular amount of attention to. That sort of..Made you mad. It sucked that your kind acts towards him were probably motivated by the stupid Bond you didn't even choose. Unfair.

Frigga mistakens your agitation for impatience. "If Loki approves, then so do I." She turns to Odin, who shrugs. She looks back to you. "Please visit with him, I haven't seen him in so long."

"I will try." You do what you figure may pass for a curtsy.

Odin speaks up then. "Thor well return you to Midgard, leave now."

-()-

You really hate portals. Officially. Thor is really nice about it, but you hate it now. The pull as it bring you somewhere, the lack of control, the indescribable fear that suffocates you in the portal. The knowledge that you currently control nothing, you are powerless. And you hate it.

But that's unimportant. You need to court Loki...But how?

* * *

So everything is going to be slowing down... School is calling me and demanding most of my time and brain power, but first my family has decided to haul me out to a no wifi area.. Negative thoughts that aren't your beeswax. Anyways, question, what do you think of the names Lochesh, Sephtis, Raz, and Chisisi? Which two are your fav?


	10. Making Deals and Eating Breakfast

You sigh heavily as Fury lectures Thor on letting you go to Agard, and how you're a potential threat, and you may have harmed him. Thor is, of course, certain you would never harm him. Thankfully he doesn't tell Fury why, aka Loki is your Mate. You don't even want to think up the trouble Fury could cause if he knew, you barely know the man but you can tell it wouldn't be below him to use Loki as leverage. Then Fury turns on you, no doubt your sigh reminded him you were there.  
"Why did you want to go to Asgard?" He glares at you with his one eye, hmm... Who is worse? Odin or Fury? You'll have to think on that. The Bond screams _Odin! Your Mate hates him, so you have to hate him!_  
You answer as nonchalantly as you can with all the irritation building up in you. Where's Loki? "Personal business, trust me. It isn't of any interest to you or anyone. It won't bring a war down on your heads, at most it'll kill me. Won't that work nicely? I won't cause you any trouble than." You smile kindly. Which completely unnerves Fury and Agent Barton.  
"So it has to do with Loki, you have no other connections, besides Thor, " Who he glares at. "To Asgard." You want to rip out his throat.  
Chandra then speaks up. Her face impassive, but she raises a single eyebrow to symbolize confusion. "But I do not see the issue Director, she did not escape. If anything she made a small visit and endangered her health. I personally believe that is the true problem. As an All-Face she ought to take better care of herself." She turns to you, eyes darkened slightly. Its an old argument, she loves to remind you how you are mortal and can die. You may heal well and be strong but that will not stop death from claiming you one day, that you worry those who care with your lack of care and concern for yourself. You shake your head angrily, you were strong, therefore they shouldn't worry.  
"I am fully recovered, I am fine. The issue is that there is no issue for you people to worry over. I will introduce you to the Vavatonem and Shifter community, you can talk. Ensure your war never happens." You shrug. "I care little, I already said that., but I would prefer there is not a war though..." You sigh. "Perhaps I could support you, but I want something in return." You smile at the calculating look Fury gives you.  
"You can't 'want' anything, perhaps you have forgotten your position?" He seems almost angry that you wanted anything from him after he had pretty much kidnapped you.  
"My position? Harm me, you have your dreaded war, work with me and you can end your war before it even starts." You cock your head. "Besides, its a small detail really. Give me Loki, any crimes? He's cleared, I want him to be able to do things with me and..." You look at Thor, he may or may have informed you of Loki's crimes.. "He can't do much as a wanted criminal, can he?" You frown at his expression, but... You suppose, you can lower your price, for now. "However, I'll take him being released into my custody and that'll do for now." Fury lifts an eyebrow, considering. "But, if everything works out... I expect him to be forgiven of his crimes as a.. A gift." You smile softly.  
Fury sighs. "A gift?"  
"Oh, but it'll be worth it." You smile. "No war, a very dangerous war criminal removed from the equation, tell me that isn't worth it."  
Fury sighs, "I'll release him to you, and if you pull through and support us, I'll see what I can do." You frown, you wanted a promise, but... You'll see what you can do. Give as good as you get.

You try not to stare at Loki from across the table... Apparently no one informed him that he had been released into your custody... Damn you Fury, why didn't you tell him? "So where do you want to move, Loki?" You tack on his name before shoving some unimportant cafeteria mush in your mouth. Chandra is frowning as she pushes the mush around her plate. Her expression says 'I can't believe someone makes a worse breakfast than Name'.  
"Huh?"  
"Well, Reindeer Games," Says facial hair. "You've been released into her custody in return for her cooperation, apparently she wouldn't settle for anything else." Mental note: Kill him. You think he heard your mental note, he gives you a dirty look. "You said that out loud."  
"What, do I have to apologize?" Thank somebody that you easily hide your embarrassment.  
Facial hair shrugs. Loki speaks then. "Why?" You cock your head and give him a quizzical look. "Why did you do that?"  
"It is my job to take care of you, so why not?" You say it without even processing the full meaning of what you are saying. Stupid bond, Loki blushes, both angrily... And something else that you can't quite place. Well, when Chandra tells you its her job to take care of you and when she has done it in public, its embarrassing, like she thinks you can't handle yourself. "Not that you can't yourself, but I... Um..."  
That's when Shaelyn(who turned out to be fine) had her little moment of realization. "Oh my god, It makes so much sense! That is so sweet by the way, I knew you were a big softy! How long has he been your Mate?! Why didn't you tell me?!" She clears the table with a single jump to hug you, her brown wings rip through her shirt in her excitement. "This is great!" She turns on a super confused Loki. "You make sure she eats well, takes vitamins, gets out, and if she says she is fine you have to find out what's wrong. She won't ever tell you what's really wrong, you have to figure it out yourself." She suddenly looks sympathetic. "Oh geez, now I feel a little bad for you, there's gonna be so many angry Shifters, you nabbed the Big Fish." She pokes you. "Surprised Chandra didn't off him before you Bonded, she was so sweet on you." Chandra chokes suddenly on the bland cafeteria mush.  
You whack Shaelyn, really hard. "Thanks for blowing the rest of the day up in my face." You speak with a gorgeous streak of sarcasm.  
"Oh.."  
"Making a full circle now?" You hiss.  
"Mates?" You look at Loki.  
"Um... Well, you're in my custody, where would you like to go first? I was thinking.. China." You just chuck China in there. You were so not thinking.  
"First you need to explain, Name."  
You lifted a shoulder nervously. "Can't we talk about this..Later?"  
Loki gives you that look, no, right now. Ugh. Chandra has managed to not die though on her mush aka breakfast, and decides to hop on the awkward conversation boat. "I think the Vavatonem should explain it, they have actual records of All-Faces taking Mates, and I know Name didn't pay much attention when it was explained to her or she would have..." Noticed my attempts to court her, or something like that judging from the blush on her cheeks.  
Facial hair grins cheekily, clearly he had been listening closely. "How you were apparently crushing on her?" He smirks, definitely listening. "Didn't know Shifters were into that."  
Chandra, the ever factual looks a little confused. "But Name is of both Genders, she is an All-Face, literally she is all faces of everything, animal, human, and more." Then she adds in afterthought, "But yes, it is not uncommon to have a Mate of matching gender if that's what you find so amusing." She turns to Loki. "I will arrange for the Vavatonem to meet you. Would you like that?" Thank Chandra's parents that she remained courteous to Loki.

So maybe you, Chandra, Shaelyn, and Loki all disappeared suddenly and shortly after lunch... Oh, poor Fury, but you did leave a letter telling him you were setting up a meeting and crap. Wait a month before doing anything stupid, please. Love me!

So I couldn't find the tool to put a line through above... Concerned. Anyways... I did one huge chap instead of a couple small ones. Do you guys prefer little chaps or big ones? Also fish names still undetermined, currently Lochesh has received likes from other 'sources/people', so Lochesh is probably in... So Sephtis or Raz?

P.S. School starts tomorrow, I shall become infrequent in my posts sadly...


	11. Loki the Storyteller

The Vavatonem's village, he assumed there was more than one, was carved deep into the mountainside, the mountain's name no one would tell him, and he didn't really care. But the place, hewn of mountain rock, was so natural. The path wind back and forth so you couldn't be certain where it led. And at first Loki thought no one was here. But then Name smiled and had said, "Wait tell nightfall, many of the Vavatonem here are nocturnal."

Then Name dragged him into a cave. And Loki was certain she had made a mistake. Why? The cave was single file, barely. The sides of the cave walls kept coming closer and closer, scraping against him as he wormed through. Plus it was pitch black. Name of course had little issue, she simply made herself smaller and could probably see in the dark. Apparently all Shifters could control their size. Chandra, he hoped it was Chandra, slither right over his feet and onward. So, since it was pretty singularly minded, just keep pushing forward, Loki started to think. Mate. He was Name's Mate. And that made it her job to take care of him apparently. Well, did this mean...Were they married? But yet, Loki thought of the Loons he had once seen on television. They Mated for life, was it more like that?

Then he saw light ahead, and when he emerged from the cave, now he realized however, it was a tunnel, and he saw the city. It was magnificent, From floor to ceiling, towers stretched. Water fell from some spots in the ceiling of the cavern to splash and then flow through canals. And the towers, carved from stone, but colorful and moss covered. Ropes and wooden planks made for apparently quick crossing, balconies stuck out here and there, and for a place underground. It was full of light. "Do you like it?" Name whispered.

"Yes, but where does the light come from?"

Name turned to Chandra. "A simple explanation would be people with to much time, resources, ad abilities stuck in one very dark, lovely, but dark, cave. This is not my home but it is my understanding they carved thin tunnels to the surface and did something so they would bring the outside worlds light down here, plus we are under a lake..."

"Which is great and informative but we need to hurry up!" Squeak out the hawk Shifter, Shaelyn. "My brother well be waking soon and he only has a few minutes normally when I visit." She turns to Name. "But then again, he'd make time for you."


	12. Finding Presents

You will kill Shaelyn, she is wonderful, but she was shooting you down without even trying! But then you shipped Loki off with Shaelyn's brother, a Vavatonem teacher who's name you should remember...But don't and don't regret not knowing. Now, Shaelyn had already torn apart the idea of slowly...Warming Loki up and then breaking it to him. At least let him get to know you, the parts of you you hadn't let him see back in the apartment. Crap, and another crap slips out softly when you see Shaelyn's mischievous grin. "Whatever you have planned, I really don't want to know. Last time you prank a Vavatonem HighLady and I got the blame and thrown in Austru Cave and somebody else wasn't."

She shrugs, "But it wasn't too long, only a day and an extra night." You glare at her, she had never been in Austru Cave, and you hoped she never was. She sighs. "HighLady Awuor is so touchy, anyways. You need to get gifts for Loki, right? The markets open soon, and we have a whole day!"

"Sure, but I am going on my own," You turn to Chandra. "Any argument to that?" She shakes her head silently. "Good, bye bye!" You stretch out, letting the fur protruded from your skin, fangs burst through your gums. It hurts, but your use to it by now.

"You do make a good cheetah Name." Shaelyn grins, you snarl at her before dashing off. You have a few ideas, you had lived with Loki for a while after all.

You snarl at the vendor, "This is not worth two hundred dollars."

The vendor shrugs, lightly dancing his hands over the limited edition books, "Then why don't you go buy them somewhere else." His eyes glint dangerously. "Just because your an All-Face doesn't mean I'll sell for less, not all of us our in awe of your existence."

You smile slowly. "Good, I'd prefer that if you have to be in awe, its because of me myself. Just being alive is nothing special." You smile, letting him see sharp fangs to remind him however, what a pity it is to die... You sink you hand deep in the leather bag you now carry, "But as for the books, I don't need them, I want them as a gift for someone else, big difference you see. 150?" He scowls, but nods taking my money. I sigh, at least he wasn't like Maruka, true Maruka had the best stuff, but she wanted things like your blood, hair, or something in return. Sometimes you got away with some gossip or information, you preferred those trades. You put the books in with the other items you had picked up. The books were actually pretty important, limited edition because most copies had been destroyed or were permanently possessed by Shifter families or the Vavatonem. Written by an All-Face about Shifters, Loki loved to read, and he would need to learn about the world you were pulling him into. Besides, something told you he'd find it fascinating. Now just the matter of arranging the rest...

(insert line with your minds cause its missing from tool bar AGAIN)

Thanks for reading, I am trying to write, with quality, while stuck in school!


	13. Neha Falls

Loki glared at Name, she just smirked in return. How dare she abandon him to the crazy man. He hadn't even learned anything! The fool just babbled on and on about the different artifacts they had seen and Name. All-Face this, All-Face that, such an honor, and it had driven him insane, yes, he was sane. "So," She drawled, "How was the educational tour?"

"Glorious." I snap. "What, pray tell, is next?"

She suddenly looks nervous, and moves around a bit, unwilling to meet his eyes. "Well, maybe getting you some new clothes?"

"Whats wrong with what I'm wearing?" The Hawk snickers, I glare at her too.

"Nothing, but you are in full battle armor, it makes the Shifters nervous." She glances at me quietly, but I am the God of mischief and lies, she isn't lying, but she isn't telling the whole truth either. "Plus," She adds, "It isn't any good for where we're headed next, and you need dress clothes too." I cock my head at her, 'do I?' She nods.

This woman couldn't prick me with more needles if she tried, but I stand there quietly as she measures and mutters to herself about colors and how people couldn't wait and didn't appreciate all her handwork and quality clothes. And she kept pricking him, but the only thing that kept his mouth shut was the furious look on Name's face. Every little prick, every little whisper of pierced skin, made her eyes darker and her face contort more and more, how work up she was by such a little thing was deeply amusing.

At first. Then I noticed how tensely Chandra was watching her as well, like Thor as a child trying to decide if he should do something or not, and considering the different ways it could explode in his face. But no one spoke, with the exclusion of the muttering seamstress.

"Hey." The hawk finally spoke. The seamstress looks up, how dare anyone interrupt her. "Do you think you could stop stabbing him constantly, she doesn't like that." She jabbed a thumb towards Name. "They're Bonded. Without.. Claim." The seamstress pales. Biting her lip, she doesn't poke me again. But…Claim? Judging from the slight blush the word brought about, this 'Claim 'was very intimate…

-()-

Name walks hurriedly forward, not evening slowing as we go through another stupid tunnel, how many tunnels are there? Chandra stays behind me, she seems to think I might try to leave. Why would I? I knew Name, I… trust her, something unavoidable I suppose. But when she looks at me, those eyes, they speak of things I can trust. Her actions as well. Because even in her hurry she still waits at the end of the tunnel, walking in rapid circle of impatience, but waiting. And she is constantly checking up on me, just a quick flick of her eyes once in awhile, but I know her well enough to be sure it is just her looking around, she is looking at me.

And, it doesn't bother me. It should, but it doesn't. Not how she is completely in charge, not how I feel all those potful warm feelings deserving of only midgardians either.

"I can hear the Neha's" Name smiles back towards me and Chandra, for some reason the Hawk did not come.

"Neha's?" I mutter, Name smiles brightly.

"You'll see." She steps forward pulling out a square of dark cloth. "Blindfold. Otherwise it won't be half as surprising!" She snaps at me as I move away.

I glare at her. "Very well." She folds the square over itself a few times and steps behind me, its irritating, sometimes she is taller than me and others shorter, also her eye color has been slowly changing, sometimes more of one color, I somewhat miss her (eye color) ones. I do wonder what she looks like without any shifting. Hmm, yes I'd like to see that. She draws the cloth carefully across my face, pull it into a tight knot by the back of my head. I assume she waves her hand in front of my face from the sudden push of air I feel washing over me, satisfied that I can't see she takes my hand pulling me along.

It's roaring loud now, like somethings being pounded on over and over. I barely hear Name go 'Shit' at first, "What?" I turn my upper half, careful to not move my feet, the wild wind leads me to believe I may or may not be s†anding in a very high up place with very little beneath my feet.

"Sorry. Forgot there aren't any stairs." She scoops me up, hooking one arm under my knees and the other around my shoulders. I would have said something but…

She jumped. Still holding me.

-(POV CHANGE)-

The landings a little hard with the extra weight, but you can't help but grin when you set Loki down, "You scream like a little girl." You can't help the smugness of your words, You have only screamed in some.. Very bad situations that aren't anyone else's business, and they weren't the shrill scream of terror Loki had given when you had jumped..

"I was blindfolded and you gave me no warning, I am still blindfolded by the way." You imageine he's glaring at you from behind the blindfold with angry green eyes. A warm but achy pressure builds in your chest, bond or not, you wanted him. And that was what you decided right then and there. Loki was good for you, and you wanted to be good for him, the Bond be damned, he was yours, not some instinctive feeling's, Instincts that were programmed in you at birth. The Instincts weren't going to control you ever again, no rampages, no doing things with out wanting to. You undo the knot, slipping the blindfold off to see those eyes. You watch as the green widens in awe, as he stares at the Neha's and their water cascading down the mountainside. How they pound heavily down into the ravine below that they had carved through the stone. "This is the Neha's." You smile, "Neha's Fall, named after an All-Face who.." You trail off, Neha was no pleasant story. Suddenly bringing Loki here didn't sound like a good idea.

Chandra spoke though. "Neha the Cataclysm, an All-Face who could influence water, she live in a time were Shifters lived in tribes, tribes that were constantly at war with one another. Neha Bonded with a Shifter of another tribe, but their tribes were at war with one another, they met in secret through the tunnels that now make up the village we saw earlier. They met on a regular basis apparently, and one day the Mate didn't come." Chandra sighed, "The Mate had died defending her tribe's territory from Neha's tribe, Neha returned to her tribe's camp to smell the her Mate's blood on her tribe's warriors. Neha went mad with grief, she called down the sky, killing anything she found alive and destroying the dead. The tribes cornered her where the lake is now, and chased her to were the falls start, Neha jumped to her death." Chandra murmured, "Because of her the tribes became one big community, otherwise we would still be scatter and fighting one another. So, Neha's Falls, should we look at the tomb?"

"Thank you for ruining the moment with tragic tales of woe and sorrow and lets not forget dead people." You snap, you really didn't want to talked about a failed All-Face's bond, one who had killed thousands in her grief as well.

Loki shrugged. "It's interesting, so Neha made the Falls?"

You smile, oh Loki. "Yes, and the lake, her Final Marking on the world."

Loki's eyes twinkled, "I would like to see this tomb."

* * *

So I hope you enjoyed the chapter, also this big one is for Rose'of'the'Rune! Hope you liked it! Don't forget to review you guys! I know your there, Fanfiction shows me how many a day, and what country. Have I mentioned how amazing it is to me to have readers in so many different countries! If you review you should definitely say what country your from, I always get a kick out of how connected we all are through the internet! Thanks for reading! I am currently trying to breed my betta's, the pairs been condition for over two weeks, more like 3! The female has her brewing stripes and white belly and the male has built his bubble nest, hopefully it goes well, I'll have to keep you all updated!

P.S. It's so weird how many times I have completely changed the plot, originally you weren't a shifter, you were a Project, with a resume of killing, torture and lots of other things, then I thought about having it so Shifter's used to be in all the realms, but the Asgardians feared there power and killed a bunch and banished the rest to Midgard, and stripped them of their full power and All-Faces were Shifters who had the full power of their ancestors before banishment. So many changes, and theses were just the super major ones!

P.S.S. so as this thing won't do what I want -()- means new scene instead of the traditional extra spacing... I well be victorious over this thing!


	14. How Neith's Arm is cut off?

Again, I dislike the tunnels, but knowing where I was being lead was good. This tomb would be of most interest, Name let Chandra leave and walks behind me slowly, silently. If I didn't know she was right behind me I doubt I would have noticed. Neha's tale was interesting, but.. "What was the Mate's name?"

Name chuckles dryly. "Its very coincidental, or least I thought so, but it seems almost common that Mates have names that relate to one another in some nature. Doesn''t it Chandra?"

"Yes, as if destiny has already marked a pair for one another." Chandra whispers.

"Her name?" I remind them.

"Neith." Name says simply. "She was a poison dart frog Shifter." Her hand wraps itself in the crook of my elbow, "Next left and we're there."

-()-

Shifters have a thing for making things natural, elegant, and imposing all at once. The tomb area is flooded, which was done on purpose, no doubt to remind everyone of the apparently destructive floods Neha had brought in her rage. Chandra said it never got higher than the knees, the stone is carved to reach up the walls slowly like trees, the branches, or perhaps roots, reaches down in the center of the room, a trunk of roots and branches, intertwined around.. What I can only assume are Neha and Neith. I walk ahead of Chandra and Name, to get a better look. The Mates lay there, on their sides, their eyes shut peacefully, a slight smile graces the ones features. It could be considered sweet, beautiful, except the one, who must be Neith. Her throat is cut in a single jagged wound, brilliantly red for a dead person. And her one leg blossoms with bruises and is clearly broken from what I can see sticking out from her skirt. "How long have they bee-"

"Centuries, we Shifters preserve better than most." Is all Chandra says.

"The protective barrier helps of course." Name adds.

Chandra nods. "Yeah, probably."

Name reaches over tapping the one side, "Neith." Yes, Neith is the one with the slit throat. "Records say they hunted her down, giving her a slow, painful," The quiet anger in Name's voice catches my attention, "death. All because she was in a different tribe, over a silly, because she wasn't 'one of them'." Hmm. She taps the other side. "Neha, an All-Face, like **me**."

We stare at them for some time, their arms wrap around one another loosely, they're dead, but I can't help but feel they may be happy just being together in something. Even though both are blood stain and Neith's throat is slashed.

"Mates… Are very important, aren't they?"

Name nods, "They are what you need, what well make you whole, fuller, they are suppose to be your other half."

Then a little akward silence occurs, and I don't quite know why. But then Chandra speaks, "Did you know all known All-Faces have been killed? They never die of natural causes."

"Heart warming." Couple with Name's soon to be signature glare. "Chandra, please don't mention-"

"How Neith's arm is cut off?"

"Yes, Chandra, how did you know?" Name suddenly smiles, "Now leave."

"But-"

"I didn't say argue or try to reason with me I told you to leave." Chandra's shoulders slump, but she exits quickly. Name turns to me. "Now, you and I are going on a little field trip."

* * *

Now I know your all like, how dare she give us short chapters! But I need together info

I need:

-Fav countries and hotspots you want to visit

-where you'd live and why

Notes

-Neha and Neith are 2 female betas of mine, yeah, I have reasoning! And its super simple!

-Take notice of the title, why do you think it has the title? Grins madly, not sure how soon tell you'll be finding out though...


	15. Still Playing Games

You know what, I am never letting Shaelyn plan my vacations ever again, we weren't even gone very long, I had meant for her make up a list of places to go check out. Its a good thing I got back when I did, she already has us booked and payed for at least half a year, and all I know is if I miss this plane..is that Shaelyn well kill me, and I never realized how people don't like Loki. The silly airport girl fainted when she saw him, oh, right, tried to conquer the world. Ah, yeah, that may cause just a bit of trouble….As far as I can tell though, his interest in world domination is low now, but how well others treat him? Well, whatever, deal with it as it comes, I glance at him out of the corner of my vision, maybe he'll want to talk about it one day. Thats when I realize it, one day, Loki may want to know more about me, he'll see me one day. I'll forget to mold my flesh into the form he knows so well. And he is my mate, honesty is important. Even if I don't know the full story either, I should tell him what I know. Maybe not quite yet, but someday.

That thought makes me excited. It also fills me with dread, sickening and achingly cold.

-()-

So, maybe after getting on the stupid plane and getting our luggage in order, I actually started thinking. "Hmmm, did we even pack anything?"

"No, the Hawk gave us no time to pack ourselves, but she did give us these bags claiming they contained what we needed."

"Her name is Shaelyn, but if we don't have clothes we'll need to buy some.."

"We already bought me some clothes though." Loki clearly doesn't want to go clothes shopping again. Stupid seamstress, I really should ruin her reputation…. Hmm..

You had poked through some of the bags quickly before giving them to the airport person. "Well, I didn't see any clothes in the bags I looked at." You look over at him, "But this time we'll be buying human style, oh, by the way. I am Name, we leave the All-Face part out, and Shaelyn actually packed our papers, and your extra papers, so we're good there."

"Where are we going?" Loki tried to keep himself disinterested.

"I have no clue." You wave at the flight attendant. "Hey, where is this plane going?"

The flight attendant gives you a weird look, of course. Shouldn't a person know where their plane is going? "Um, Iceland miss."

"Hmm, okay, thanks."

"You didn't know where we are going?…Why did I even expect you to?"

"Hey!" You punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I am a victim too!"

-()-

"Yes Shaelyn, we made it." Name said for the hundredth time into the small black box with the glowing screen. "Now what?" Silence as she listens quietly, "Kay, bye." She turns to me, "I still don't get were we're going.. Celly-ja-land-sfoss?"

"Oh you must mean the Selijalandfoss Waterfall, its beautiful!" Gushed the way to helpful midgardian man, was he truly a man, he was far to feminine. And interested into Name. Interested to the point of lending his black box so she could call Shaelyn.

"Hmm, best way to get there?" She then stiffened in shock, the box was shaking angrily. "Oh, ah, text message, right." She tapped the black boxes glowing screen, "Hmm, 'wait at luggage pickup, ride well find you, think….' god Shaelyn." She stares at the screen for a bit and then hands the black box back. "Thanks."

The man blinks. "Your welcome." Then Name grabs me by the arm, and drags me off, quickly and not allowing another word from him.

-()-

So we stand there, next to the pile of bags that is our luggage, now that I have time to look at them I realize that the Hawk packed for an army, there had to be clothes in there. I look over to Name, she's watching the palm of her hand with an amount of fascination that makes me think she is doing something to her palm. I look over her shoulder, and I did not have to stand on my tips of my toes to do so, yes, she was shifting her palm into different images, a lion, screaming woman, feathers….Me… "Name?"

"You realize I know your watching right?" I could here the smirk in her voice. "Like it?" She proceeds to make my image make faces, stupid smiles, and the worst was when my face had made this coy smile and fluttered it's lashes like a young female midgardian. Or that man earlier.

"Still playing games All-Face?" A pale hand closed over her hand and my face. I look up at this person, a man with yellow-green eyes, stark white skin, and orange hair flashing sharp white teeth in what is suppose to be a smile, a very predatory smile. His eyes narrow at me. "I thought you preferred solitary companionship, not frolicking with Mundanes."

"Just Name here, Crevan." She pinned on the name, I believe she did it purely so I would know this man's name. "Also, human, not mundane. This is Loki, of Asgard." She steps away so he can have a good look at me. Her eyes stay on him, careful, as if trying to figure the best way to go about what ever is apparently going on. "What all were you told?"

He shrugs. "Shaelyn called, needed someone to play tour guide for you, of course, I volunteered." He flashes another predacious grin. Name wince slightly.

"Crevan." She says in the tone used on a animal that you knew wouldn't like what was going to happen. "Perhaps someone else sh-"

"No," He snaps. His eyes widen. "Did Chandra fina-"

Name interrupts him now, in a quick, stampede of words. "He's my Mate." Crevan blinks and takes a few steps back, looking at her in shock, and a little…Hurt? He turns towards me angrily, I wave cheerfully.

"I lost to this runt?" His eyes turn more yellow. "Chandra I could tolerate, but some little Mundane?"

"Perhaps we should take this outside?" I offer, people are looking at us.

Crevan shrugs, "Sure."


	16. Loki kissed Name on the Cheek

"So." Crevan glares down at Loki angrily. "He's your Mate?" With a an undertone _little, under-sized, black-haired, runt. I'm so going to chew him up. _

"Yes." You mentally sigh, really Shaelyn? Send the crazy fox to be the tour guide for me and my Mate. Crazy Fox who is very interested into making me his Mate… And really open about it. As in I think he might kill Loki when I blink for a half second.

"How?" He growls, stalking up to you, it is a nice view up his nose on the off handed note.

Loki grumbles from the sidelines, yes, yes, he can take care of himself. I know. "Well, you know how I was in isolation?"

He hissed angrily. "Yeah, those fools thought that you had to be locked up until you were in control."

You sigh out loud. "It was necessary, but while during that, I met Loki and he started staying with me. After such a long period of being relatively alone and then suddenly having constant contact, I Bonded to him." You play with some of your fingers, a thing a mundane does when bored, a thing a Shifter does to remind others _I may just put my claws through your _**_face_**_. As you were saying? _"Don't kill him. Now bring us to the House and get."

He huffed. "My All-Face always expects so much for so little, won't you pay me?"

You give him a grin, "If the service is adequate." Loki chokes behind you. "Crevan?!"

"I didn't do anything, he probably gasping for air because I asked a seemingly dirty question and you said yes! And smiled." He said in afterthought. He smacked Loki on the back. "Don't get jelly, its just a hug."

"For like a minute." You complained.

"You smell too nice for a second less." Oh how sweet, really, why he bothered with someone like you? Most girls would have blushed, you just gave him a look of _Maybe someone jammed flowers in you nose, poor thing. _But Shaelyn said thats why he was interested, you were actually a challenge, a really big challenge because of how desensitized you were when it came it affections and such. Most people viewed them as wonderful, you looked at it and wondered if it was a mental disability. Most people found hugs and touches romantic, you did it because you were cold, or just wanted to be near them. Or maybe, maybe not, wanted a back scratch or something. Those were hard to come by….

-()-

I hate many people. This 'Crevan' was going to be one of them. I figured he was a fox, Crevan meant fox, fox red hair, yellow eyes. He just reeked fox. And he talked strangely, one second gruff and old fashioned, then a lilting accent that gently wrapped around every word, or that silly way of speaking as most young folk with the glowing boxes do, constantly changing. Clearly a trickster, a player, like me. People may say I'm crazy, but clearly Crevan was, maybe the fox in him was a little to predominant. Crevan help them throw their things in a jeep as he chattered on and on, the only useful things I gleaned from all the words was the following:

-Hurt Name, I well kill you

-Touch Name, I well also kill you

-Name is the best thing you well ever know, dare to even think otherwise and, you guessed it, I'll kill you

-I hate the Vavatonem because they made Name live in that stupid apartment and rarely let me see her

-I hate you

-I hate lots of things

-I'm obsessed with my own voice

-I can definitely drive, look back to glare at you, and jabber onward

Crevan is far crazier than me. Name looks back reassuringly a few times. I think she's also checking to see if I jumped out of the vehicle yet. Which is a good idea, but even I wouldn't abandon her with Crevan.

-()-

Even though it was a only a few hours of driving with Crevan and I feel less sane for it. Name smiles before telling me we're almost there. "Where's there?"

She grins. "You'll love it."

-()-

What I'll love is this giant tree house mansion. At first I was confused when Crevan parked in the middle of this thick forest and its lack of roads and houses. Name and Crevan jumped out. "Come on Mundane, I'm not waiting for you." Crevan snarled, now in an Australian accent. A very angry Australian accent. Name smirks at me, and nods for me to come. Crevan shifts about for bait, clearly waiting for something. We stand there until his impenitence gets the better of him. "I'm not going to wait for anyone else either, hurry up well you?!" He yelled at the tree tops. Name makes a soft repetitive noise, I think she's laughing, but doesn't want to upset Crevan.

"Loki, move over, it won't do me any good for you to be crushed." She yanks me to her other side, next to the vehicle. Suddenly the air pushes against my back as something rams in the forest floor. I look over my shoulder, a large wooden board with ropes attached to each corner.

Crevan swears. "Are you trying to put a hole in the floor?"

"It's just dirt Crevan." Someone calls down, a female who speaks suspiciously like Crevan does. "Besides, you should be more concerned for the lift then the dirt, and Name? It so good to see you, I see you have a new guard dog, did Chandra finally go to far?"

Name frowned. "No you little scoundrel, now shut up and come down here. I've supplies for the kitchen." Crevan replied.

A girl slides down one of the ropes, a red head like Crevan and she shares in his yellow-green eyes and white skin. Clearly confident in her own skin. "Messina is Crevan's sister if you didn't notice, I may as well warn you, there's seven other carbon copies of these two around here." She turned to this 'Messina'. "Did Tokala finally move in with his Mate?"

Messina nodded. "For a while they wear considering moving _into here_…Not that it mattered, their'1s plenty of room, but still!"

Name dumped some of the luggage on the lift. "Well?" I pick up the some of the other bags with her, but I actually set it down, gently. She practically throws it. Then all the sudden her eyes narrow angrily at something behind me, toward the jeep. I gasped when Name hauled me up on to her shoulder, she's taller, but she shouldn't lift me up like a pillow. "Stay away unless you want to be missing that nose." Messina gasps.

"Oh, he's your Mate? The awkward pause starts to get a little to long when she speaks again. "Um, sorry. I won't go near him again."

"Haul us up, now." Name snapped, what had Messina done?

"Set me down?"

She drops me. I glare at her, she shrugs. Waiting until we were in the tree tops to speak, I can see the floor of what appears to be a palace of a treehouse. "She was…Kind of. Um, you know… Like sniffing your.. person." I give her a look, smelling me was strange, not something to get angry over. "Like, really personal, like in your hair and…" She blushed. "I never got the whole sniffing thing, and sniffing a person's…" She patted her rump. "It's like checking you out, showing interest, saying I think I like you. And your the equivalent of married by Shifter standards. So, its like checking out a married person. Isn't that taboo in Asgard?"

"But I didn't notice anything." Messina had sniffed my..But?

Name rolled her eyes. "She's a fox." That explains nothing. At all.

"So, my but is your private property?" I smirk at her.

She glares at me. "Next time I'll let the next one sniff you as much as they want and don't look to me when they are all over you and won't stop flirting with you, you'll be praying for me to pick you up like a damsel in distress." I snort, never.

-()-

God, Loki doesn't get it. The only reason Messina doesn't throw herself on you is because Crevan wants you and the one time she had attempted to you had kicked her off the tree, literally, she had start sniff the back of your neck and running the tip of her nose on your bare skin. Which had scared the crud out of you and you had proceed to lash out. Without a first thought, most people would lash out on the second thought, you just did it.

My major lesson out of that had been many Shifters well sniff someone as a show of interest, or possible interest, they're identifying your scent to show they want to find you again. Your other lesson was Messina was like those guys who go after anything in a skirt, but she was a girl and male or female was completely irrelevant. Shaelyn hated her so much, Chandra said Messina was, on Messina"s levels of interest, pretty serious about Shaelyn. Shaelyn may like her, you don't know, last time you had all been here Shaelyn had avoided Messina like the plague or one of her more vicious prank victims. Like HighLady Awour. One of these days you were going to lock the Messina and Shaelyn in a room together and see what was left at the end of the day.

You weren't that cruel…Well, more like Shaelyn hadn't made you angry enough yet.

You slung some bags over your shoulder, and then the other shoulder, the crooks of your elbows, and clutched as many as would fit in your hands. "Think you could handle the rest, _dear?_" Oh, calling him darling was a good idea, the shocked expression that spread across his features was delectable. You remembered doing the same things in school, randomly hugging people, especially if you didn't know them, and calling everyone thing like handsome, gorgeous, and darling. More stupid nicknames were needed.

"Yes," He paused before gaining a devilish smirk, _don't count me out._ "Sweetheart." He added with a peck on your cheek, taking some bags from your hands and grabbing the rest.

It was on.


	17. Honeymoon Suite

You walked ahead of Loki, what would some good nicknames be? Sweetheart? But Loki had used it… Dear was to simple. "Name? Where are we going? _Do you even know?_"

Hmm, now, should you go left or right at this point? Oh wait… The destination, which room were you and Loki even in? Um, well, you are Mates… A little smirk worked its way on your face, "Just follow me, Honey." Yeah, definitely a left. And Honey was no good either, who knew sappy, stupid nicknames were this hard? You skip down the bridge, which is really hard with all the bags and how the wood and rope beneath your feet keeps swaying and moving with every step.

Loki snorts, "Are you a Stromkarl now?" You paused as you set a foot on one of the little bridges leading to a tree house. He frowned. "And who did the infrastructure here?"

You turn to look at him. "Stromkarl?"

He rolled his eyes, "A musical spirit."

You snarled lightly, "I do a little skipping and that makes me a Stromkarl? Anyway, the Shifters who built this place? Died a long time ago, the Fox, its a family, tribe, whatever, and they never really cared for the distinction between families and tribes, they made this place for themselves and anyone passing through, I've been here more than once." You swept up to the room, really, it was a huge house here for all but the fact that its halls lacked walls. The tree houses are rooms, the bridges the hallways. You can feel Loki rolling his eyes at you. "But Doll, I think you'll like it here. Crazy people who don't mind their own business, and watch out for any little kids who look like Crevan or Messina, they are all adroit and thieves. Nice, but you'll going leave with less then you came if you spend too much time with them." You smile softly. "They are good kids though."

Loki paused quietly. "Do you like children?" But you heard the real question, _do you want one?_

"Any child is fine when it isn't mine to take care of." You made a face of disgust crossed with a sneer. "Plus every single thought that passes through their little heads….Comes right out their mouth. I don't ever want children." You tried to keep your shoulders from slumping, the idea of a child honestly filled your stomach with a queasy sensation, a mix of horror, terror, achy warmth, and more aching, fear. Focusing on how horrifying children were was easiest, best.

Loki stared intensively at you for a bit, dissecting the last couple seconds in his head. He blinked once. A displeased frown as if to say, there's a lie in there, I'm just not sure which part of its untrue. "I see."

You laugh lightly, "Oh, really Loki? No need to worry, you don't have to anything more than live with me and put up with me. I'm not like those old, traditional idiots." You tap the door with your foot so it swings open. "I'd like to be your friend really, we're going to be stuck together for a long time."

He snorts as you walk in, and promptly drops everything on the floor with a nice bang. You glare at him, _really?_ You show him around, the houses all have a similar layout so its not too hard. A kitchen combined with a tiny dining room, bathroom, and then the bedroom. Why this particular house? Because it was one of the many for mates, and your mind was already thinking of how nonplussed Loki would be, how people were going to react. Name has a Mate? Oh, poor thing, you were definitely going to abandon him to the masses. Hopefully. And ignore how the Bond happily contracted in you at his little smirks and blinks, the little moments were he glared at you like _really? _**_Stupid Bonds._**

**_-()-_**

You laugh ad you smile harder than anyone else at dinner. Why? Because it was a meal with everybody. Poor Loki. After the initial shock of you bring someone to the meal and the fact that you were there. Which include lots of toasting, the shock of that someone being your Mate seemed to short-circuit everyone's brains for a bit. Then it was interrogation time. Where he was from? Asgard. Mundane or Shifter? Mundane… Which had way to long of a pause, and most just sniffed a little and drew their own mental images. And you hated how easily he seemed to answer the questions and always left out just the right things to make your relationship seem more than it was. What was your relationship?

Something you didn't want to mess with, that's what. Much less think about it. But everybody was more interested into Loki and generally left you alone to your own devices, to your mind. We aren't just friends, you're fairly certain friends don't snuggle, or patch up stomach injuries. How had he even gotten a stomach injury? And you thought back to when you had chased him. He had created images of himself to try and trick you, but they hadn't smelled of him. He wasn't human. He was Loki you mentally hissed at your curiosity. Loki doesn't quite add up, Loki is waking up to pancakes from someone who never even mentioned cooking, Loki is doing whatever, he's all about guile and shrewdness, he's about using big words and leaving the definition's up on the computer for you, Loki with his smirks and uncaring attitude, but he did care. Loki was the one the Bond obsessed over. Loki was your weakness now, your chain, your anchor, a drowner. A danger, a possibility.

* * *

So, I really need a beta-reader and anyone who would be willing to put up with me and my crazies would be welcomed! Pleasse let me know about any mistakes I've made! Love you guys, yes I'm slow and pathetic! Review! Por Favor!

P,S. A drowner is like the weight on a trap use to literally aid in the drowning of its victim. Cheers!


End file.
